Stephen Fox

Because of concern about air quality, most of Australia’s track and field
athletes will miss the Aug. 8 Olympic opening ceremonies in Beijing. With
events beginning after Aug. 15, one week after the opening, Athletics
Australia has chosen to hold its pre-Olympic training camp in Hong Kong.
Competitors will then fly to Beijing three or four days before their events.

“As many sports have said, China presents difficulties for athletes going in
and being there for a period of time,” Athletics Australia national
performance manager Max Binnington. “Anything more than five or six days and they inevitably end up with some sort of respiratory problem. So that was why many of the sports who don’t have to be in there early are choosing not to go in. And the outcome is that it’s almost impossible to go for the opening ceremony.” Australia’s triathletes will also miss the opening ceremonies for similar reasons. “Most of our athletes have accepted the decision straight away.”

Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Bejiing organizing committee, stated that
nations could be flexible for the opening ceremonies. “Every team can arrange its schedule according to its own plan,” Sun said. “As for the environmental problems, we’ve said many times that we’re confident that we can provide clean air during the Olympic Games.” A plan for Beijing’s
notoriously clogged traffic include half of the city’s 3.3 million vehicles
being banned each day, using an odd-even system from registration plates.

“Generally those competing of the first day or the second day don’t march,
standing up for eight hours a day or so before competition isn’t a medically smart thing to do,” AOC spokesman Tancred said. Australian and Hong Kong physicians have backed this up: see “Medical Experts Say Olympians Face Health and Performance Difficulties in Beijing’s Air Pollution from Hong Kong and Australian Physicians: Even Spectators Should Worry!” at:
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=52625&ret=AccountDtl.aspx,
an article by Tan Ee Lyn.

Despite IOC President Jacques Rogge’s “Beijing air pollution cheer” a few
days ago from Lausanne, Switzerland, in which he basically dismisses all of these concerns, I would like you to be aware of my latest articles, which we refer to by URL in order to bring you the photo essay on Beijing smog:

[Title: Jacques Rogge and Olympic Committee: Please move Marathon, Triathlon, and Cycling out of Beijing's Deadly Air Pollution! Carbon Monoxide, Industrial Pollution,Lead,Particulate Matter, Ozone]

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=52987&ret=AccountDtl.aspx
_______________________________

Please also see earlier article:
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=52585&ret=AccountDtl.aspx

[Title: Beijing's Infernal Air Pollution Will Kill A Few Olympic Athletes;
Most US Athletes Will Wear Masks While Preparing for Their Events]

If you know Olympic athletes, physicians, sports enthusiasts, and
internationally minded people, please forward this to them, and to friends
and colleagues. If you comprehend that we could prevent a few athletes from inevitable expiration in the Beijing smog, you can also email Mr. Rogge directly:
http://www.olympic.org/uk/utilities/registration_uk.asp?prm_action=req

Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor Santa Fe Sun News
stephen@santafefineart.com

Photo Essay: Close Up of Bird’s Nest Stadium Engulfed in Beijing Smog:
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/01JI8wJ5zmffG/610x.jpg

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/07/10/a-month-before-the-olympics-beijing-still-failing-air-quality-test/

http://thinkorthwim.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/yutian-pollution.jpg

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/10/25/beijing_narrowweb__300×375,0.jpg

One by my sardonic wise friend, James Fallows, Washington Editor Atlantic
Monthly:
http://www.chinaherald.net/uploaded_images/BJpollution-761160.jpg